Hurricane Hermine Could Be Felt in Metro Atlanta

Tropical Storm Hermine strengthened into a hurricane on Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, and was expected to make landfall in Florida around midnight before sweeping into Georgia.

According to the National Hurricane Center, data from an Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft confirmed that the storm had reached the sustained winds of at least 74 mph to be considered a hurricane.

At 2:55 p.m. the storm had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was on a north-northeast track at 14 mph.

Thursday morning, hurricane center forecasters had anticipated Hermine would gain hurricane strength before making landfall. Tropical storm force winds are extending outward from the storm up to 140 miles to the east and southeast of the center, forecasters say.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hermine is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches over parts of northwest Florida and southern Georgia through Friday, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches.

On Friday and Saturday, Hermine is expected to produce totals of 4 to 8 inches with local amounts of 10 inches possible across portions of eastern Georgia, South Carolina and eastern North Carolina through Saturday.

These rains may cause life-threatening flash flooding.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the east coast from Florida to South Carolina, taking in all of Georgia's coastline.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Florida's "Big Bend" area, where the panhandle meets the western shore.

Read more: Tropical Storm Hermine Intensifies On Way to Florida's Gulf Coast

On Thursday, Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 56 south Georgia counties in the storm's path.

The state of emergency goes into effect at noon Thursday and lasts until midnight Saturday.

"Georgia is expected to receive severe weather related to Tropical Storm Hermine through Saturday," Deal said in a news release. "We are working to ensure counties in south, central and coastal Georgia have access to the state resources necessary to prepare and respond when Tropical Storm Hermine enters Georgia.

"Our Emergency Operations Command will continue closely monitoring this storm and additional counties may be included in this declaration as needed."

The declaration includes the following counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Mitchell, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Seminole, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Turner, Ware, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox and Worth.

While the southern part of Georgia will obviously feel the brunt of the storm, its impact is expected to reach all the way to metro Atlanta.

Currently, Friday is the day Atlanta is most likely to be wet.

The National Weather Service calls for an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms on Friday. Winds will be 15-20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

The current forecast only calls for a 10 percent chance of rain on Saturday though. Of course, those forecasts could change quickly if Hermine's path shifts westward from current predictions.

The storm hits Georgia not only on Labor Day weekend, when travel plans are plenty, but as the metro area is hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors for DragonCon, two NCAA football games, Black Gay Pride and the Decatur Book Festival.

Images via National Hurricane Center